


Beautiful Liars

by allhailthenerdmage



Category: VIXX
Genre: Depressing, Hanahaki Disease, Jaewhan is a good friend, M/M, One-Sided Attraction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-11
Updated: 2016-07-11
Packaged: 2018-07-22 21:05:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7453951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allhailthenerdmage/pseuds/allhailthenerdmage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The petals are too bright, too alive against Taekwoon's pale skin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beautiful Liars

Something inside of Taekwoon clenches as Wonshik grabs his hand and pulls him along. His stomach feels as off its collapsing on itself and something climbs up his throat. It clings to his windpipe and scratches at his insides, trying to force it's way past his lips.

He pulls away from Wonshik and races to the bathroom, he can apologize later. The feeling gets worse as he drops to his knees, stomach and chest contracting as the pressure in his throat increases. Taekwoon's mouth finally falls open as he gags, something dry streaming past his lips. He heaves in shaky breaths as he sits back on his heels.

A soft gasp escapes him as he opens his eyes. He's surrounded by flowers, beautiful yellow petals scattered around his knees. Taekwoon's brain spins, how had he thrown up flowers? Why? A thought suddenly strikes him.

Hanahaki, a story his mother had told him years ago. Someone who suffers from one sided love throws and coughs up flower petals. The infection would be fatal, unless the person accepts the feelings or the feeling are removed by an operation. 

But who did he love? A soft knock at the door makes Taekwoon jump. Wonshik's voice is muffled by the door, "Are you alright?" He sounds worried. Wonshik's voice triggers a fit of coughs from Taekwoon, he grimaces as more petals flutter to the ground. 

"Yeah," Taekwoon's voice shakes as he replies."I'm just not feeling great."

"Alright," Wonshik obviously doesn't believe him, but accepts the answer anyway. He hears the other man's footsteps retreating down the hall and sighs, the weight of what had happened hitting him fully. 

Taekwoon loves Wonshik. But Wonshik obviously doesn't love him, the petals tell him that. Taekwoon coughs again, the pool of flowers growing steadily. Should he tell them? Would they make him get the surgery? He doesn't want to forget how Wonshik makes him feel. He wants to remember the warm feeling in his chest that comes from the rapper's arms around his chest. He wants to remember the way his bright, childish laugh makes his heart skip a beat. 

The others come to the door to try to talk to him and Taekwoon panics. He shovels the petals into the toilet and flushes it, oblivious to the single petal remaining on the floor but the door as he walks out to join the other members.

Jaehwan notices the petal though, he bends down discretely to pick it up. The edges of the petal are red, like dye absorbed by paper. He places it in his pocket, reminding himself to ask Taekwoon about it later. 

 

Taekwoon gets significantly worse as the weeks go on. It feels as though a cage has formed around his heart and lungs, getting tighter by the day. Every time Wonshik grabs his arm or puts an arm around him, Taekwoon can feel the petals bubbling up his throat and pushing at his tongue. He finds out that the petals are tulips, yellow meaning hopelessly in love. It's a fitting flower, Taekwoon thinks, his love for Wonshik is certainly hopeless. 

He does love Wonshik, there was no doubt about that. But if he tells Wonshik and he rejects Taekwoon, would that feel any better that keeping it a secret? The surgery is out of the question at least, there is no way Taekwoon would willingly stop loving Wonshik. So he hides it, petals are swept away into garbage bags and he acts as if his heart is not being crushed by the roots that have wound their way around his insides. 

Jaehwan comes to talk to him after practice one day, cornering him after the others had left. He grabs Taekwoon's hands and gives him a concerned look, the single petal sitting between their palms. 

"Tell me," His tone is serious and leaves no room for debate. Taekwoon breaks, he tells Jaehwan everything. About the beautiful yellow petals, about the plant wound around his heart that was slowly but steadily strangling him. He whispers and tells Jaehwan that it's Wonshik who's slowly killing him. He makes the other man promise to keep it a secret, at least for a week. 

Jaehwan promises, he gives Taekwoon seven days to sort it out before they take him to get the surgery. 

 

The petals are dying, he notes one morning. His bed is not littered with vibrant yellow petals like it had been, the petals are withering. They shrivel up and lose their oddly beautiful color. 

It hurts less now though, the pain slowly numbing. Taekwoon gets used to the scratches as the petals rush up his throat, and the painful contractions of his chest as Wonshik touches him. But he is also loosing the energy to hide it, he flinches as the rapper touches him and fights sobs as his stomach tears at itself. 

He has still got five days, either to tell Wonshik or to get the surgery. Taekwoon is set on doing neither, still fearing both rejection and the loss of his feelings. Jaehwan watches him carefully now. His eyes follow Taekwoon as he runs to the washroom, they are full of worry and pain that he hates to be the cause of. And all the while, Wonshik remains blissfully unaware. 

Each night, the garbage bags get steadily larger. Filled to the brim with withering petals. He's meticulous, making sure that not a single petal remains . The rest of the group barely notice, with the exception of Jaehwan. Wonshik looks vaguely concerned, but even noticing that triggers an onslaught of half dead petals. When ever Wonshik touches him, the slight tugs at his chest grow into anchors, dragging his heart down into his gut. Though it hurts, Taekwoon situates himself as far from Wonshik as possible. He ignores the hurt glances thrown his way with some difficulty and tries to remain calm. 

On the second last day his chest feels impossibly tight, like someone has pushed him into a trash compactor. He lays down to sleep with a horrible anxious feeling, as if something is going to happen. Taekwoon attributes it to the growing sickness and closes his eyes to get much needed sleep, heart still contracting painfully. 

 

Wonshik bounds into Taekwoon's room excitedly, ready to leap onto the singer's chest. He pauses as he steps over the threshold, entire body tensing. 

Taekwoon lays in his bed much to still, chest refusing to rise. He's surrounded by a sea of yellow petals. The ones closes to him are bright and vibrant, getting darker as they move farther from Taekwoon's body. His full lips are parted around a beautiful flower, a bright yellow tulip. Wonshik shakes himself out of the stupor the petals had put him under and calls for the others as he rushes to Taekwoon's side.

The singer's skin is cold, lacking all of it's usual comfort. The petals hurt Wonshik's head, they're too bright, too _alive_. They cradle Taekwoon's head like a glowing halo. 

From behind him Wonshik hears Jaehwan's cry of horror, his knees hit the carpet softly as he begins to sob. Unintelligible words port from his lips, making Wonshik turn to face him. 

Jaehwan glared at Wonshik and yells, "It's all your fault!" He's met with a  confused silence and continues to yell. "He loved you!" 

Jaehwan descends into choked sobs and pained whimpers, coming to clutch Taekwoon's icy hand. The others stare at Wonshik in horror, he feels tears pouring down his cheeks and his hands clenching at his sides. He holds Taekwoon's hand close to his chest, trying desperately to force warmth into the horribly cold skin. He hears Jaehwan sob brokenly, "But he had one more day."


End file.
